Hello everyone and welcome to my class! My name is Carmen Larrinaga, and I am currently a kindergarten teacher at Silver Trail Elementary.

I am originally from Pasco, Washington, where I attended school from kindergarten through high school. A lot of my fond memories from school revolve around my teachers who instilled in me a love of learning! I chose to become a teacher in hopes that I could share that same love with my students.

After high school I attended college at BYU-Idaho and graduated with my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Then in 2011, I graduated from the University of Idaho with my master’s degree in Educational Leadership. I have continued to take classes and would be a perpetual student if I could! I LOVE learning new things and am constantly looking for ways to improve myself and my teaching!

After graduating with my bachelor's, I moved to Boise and was offered my first job teaching fourth grade in Melba. Over the course of eleven years in Melba I taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. In 2010, while still in Melba, I was awarded the Milken Educator of the Year Award for the state of Idaho. This was only one highlight of my career. In 2014, I was offered a job teaching first grade at Silver Trail, after serious contemplation I accepted the position and loved every moment of first grade. During the 2017 summer a third grade position became available, I decided I was ready to learn a new grade and asked to move. It was a wonderful year with a lot of learning and growing opportunities for myself as well as my students! I was so proud of my students and their great success last year! Last spring was filled with great uncertainty for where or what I would be teaching this year. On the last day of the school year, I was offered the kindergarten position at Silver Trail. I was so excited because I felt like this is where I was supposed to be for this year! People ask me frequently what grade is my favorite, and I can't name one. I have found great things in every grade I have taught and have loved each one for different reasons. I am excited to see all of the great things I find to love about kindergarten!

Please know that I believe we are a team working together to build your child into the best person they can become in kindergarten! I also have strong feelings about kindergarten being an extremely important year in a child's schooling, since for many it is their first exposure to the school system. I want them to love coming to school each day. My goals are to work with you to help your child be successful both academically and socially, and to make my classroom a place that your child loves to be. Please let me know if there is anything I can ever do to help reach these goals!